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January is one of the coldest months in North Florida, but it's a great month for starting veggies for your spring garden. Put your potatoes in the ground this month, and start some tomatoes from seed or clone some from your existing plants for spring planting. You can also brighten up your landscape with the cute smiling faces of pansies or add a graceful camellia to your flowering shrubs. As the days get longer and winter is upon us, gardening is still going strong in our part of the state.

Vegetables to Plant in North Florida in January

If you've been longing for fresh lettuce and endive/escarole, this is the month to plant them. If you just can't wait for fresh lettuce to mature, consider planting a tray or two of cut-and-come-again varieties of lettuce for mini greens you can start harvesting in as little as 7-14 days.

** denotes first month for planting
* denotes last month for planting

Arugula

Beets

Broccoli

Brussels
Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chinese
Cabbage

Collards

Endive/
Escarole**

Kale

Kohlrabi

Lettuce**

Mustard

Bunching Onions

Snow/English
Peas

Potatoes,
Irish**

Radish

Shallots

Spinach

Swiss
Chard

Tomatoes

Turnips

Ornamentals to Plant in North Florida in January

ANNUALS: There are a few bedding plants that can take the cold. I have always loved pansies, with their sweet little faces. I bought my mother a concrete planter to put on her front porch so she could look out the window and see flowers, and every winter, we would plant it with pansies and Johnny jump-ups. In the frigid days of a South Carolina winter, she could look out and see flowers, and it made her very happy. I also love petunias, and plan to add some to my gardens to brighten it up this winter.

Pansy

Viola

Petunia

Snapdragon

BULBS are planted in winter so you can have spring and summer blooms. These are three very tough bulbs. I have crinum and agapanthus, both "rescues" from sites where they were being abandoned, and can't wait to see their beautiful blooms every year.

Crinum

Agapanthus

Gloriosa Lily

Time for Camellias

January is the month to plant Camelliasin North Florida. They are in bloom now, so you can choose just the one you want. The flowers range from delicate and dainty to huge and showy, in a range of colors from white to pink to red to multi-colored.

Be Prepared for Cold Weather

Be sure to protect new plantings from sudden cold snaps. Usually, January is pretty mild, but you never can tell, and there is usually at least one freeze in January, so have your sheets and blankets ready.